In this activity, student teams learn about research design and design a controlled experiment exploring the relationship between a hypothetical planet, an energy source, and distance. They analyze the data and derive an equation to describe the...(View More) observations. Includes student data sheets, a teacher's guide, and a tutorial on how to use the spreadsheet program Excel. This is Activity A in module 3, titled "Using Mathematic Models to Investigate Planetary Habitability," of the resource, Earth Climate Course: What Determines a Planet's Climate? The course aims to help students to develop an understanding of our environment as a system of human and natural processes that result in changes that occur over various space and time scales.(View Less)

In this 2-part inquiry-based lesson, students conduct a literature search to determine the characteristics of the atmospheres of different planets (Venus, Mercury, Mars and Earth). After collecting and analyzing data, student teams design and...(View More) conduct a controlled physical experiment using a lab apparatus to learn about the interaction of becomes CO², air, and temperature. The resource includes student worksheets, a design proposal, and student questions. Connections to contemporary climate change are addressed. This lesson is the first of four in Topic 4, "How do Atmospheres Affect Planetary Temperatures?" within the resource, Earth Climate Course: What Determines a Planet's Climate?(View Less)

In this problem-based learning module, students work in teams to examine a broad array of information related to water quality in Lower Wheeling Creek and the Wheeling Creek watersheds in Wheeling, West Virginia. This module is part of Exploring the...(View More) Environment.(View Less)

In this problem-based learning activity, students help the Forest Service make a decision: the next time there's a natural fire in Yellowstone National Park, should they try to put it out or let it burn? They perform an Earth system science analysis...(View More) to predict the results under the existing policy and to support any recommendations you would make to revise the policy. This activity is part of Exploring the Environment.(View Less)

In this problem-based learning activity, students are asked to research and make recommendations that balance the benefits of a healthy forest with the economic needs of the people who log it. Students use NIH Image software to analyze satellite...(View More) imagery from Landsat. This activity is from Exploring the Environment.(View Less)

In this problem-based learning activity, students work in teams to review the many issues that surround ozone depletion. They will evaluate the current status of the Montreal Protocol, considering the interrelationships of Earth's spheres, including...(View More) the anthrosphere. Students must investigate how an event in one sphere may affect a second sphere, which may, in turn, affect a third sphere. Students should determine if there is a need for revision of the Montreal Protocol and, if so, in what areas. This activity is from Exploring the Environment.(View Less)

In this problem-based learning activity, students will examine opposing views on the Amazon Rainforest and will take a position on land-use and species conservation in one of the last areas of biodiversity on Earth. This activity is part of...(View More) Exploring the Environment.(View Less)

This problem-based learning (PBL) module prompts students to address coral reef destruction and think about biodiversity worldwide. Students identify possible sources of coral reef destruction, examine conflicting evidence, evaluate possible courses...(View More) of action, and make recommendations. As they do this, students look at man's impact on the global environment. Two versions of the PBL module are provided. The middle school scenario focuses on the question: is the cumulative weight of human activities changing the environment and destroying coral reefs—one of Earth’s last great areas of biodiversity? The high school scenario focuses on the question: what are the pros and cons of artificial reefs—are they effective in preserving biodiversity that can be lost when natural coral reefs are destroyed? This module is part of Exploring the Environment.(View Less)

This problem-based learning module focuses on the increasing atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and its effects on the various spheres of the Earth system. More specifically, students will predict how these effects may impact the growth of...(View More) hard-red winter wheat in Kansas 50 years in the future. This module is part of Exploring the Environment.(View Less)

In this scenario-based, problem-based learning (PBL) activity, students investigate cloud formation, cloud classification, and the role of clouds in heating and cooling the Earth; how to interpret TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) images...(View More) and data; and the role clouds play in the Earth’s radiant budget and climate. Students assume the role of weather interns in a state climatology office and assist a frustrated student in a homework assignment. Learning is supported by a cloud in a bottle and an ice-albedo demonstration, a three-day cloud monitoring outdoor activity, and student journal assignments. The hands-on activities require two 2-liter soda bottles, an infrared heat lamp, and two thermometers. The resource includes a teacher's guide, questions and answer key, assessment rubric, glossary, and an appendix with information supporting PBL in the classroom.(View Less)